JAKARTA, March 28 Indonesia will soon certify
the local unit of U.S. mining giant Newmont Mining Corp
as a registered exporter, a mining ministry official said,
taking the firm a step closer to ending a hiatus on copper
exports from its Batu Hijau mine in Sumbawa.

Indonesia in January levied an escalating tax on copper
concentrate exports, but both Newmont and rival copper miner
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc - who together
account for 97 percent of Indonesia's copper output - said the
rule conflicts with contracts they signed with Indonesia that
exempt them from new taxes and duties.

The government has also demanded the two commit to building
and supplying smelter projects in Indonesia before they can
resume concentrate shipments, and has hinted this may also give
them leeway with the export tax.

The moves precede a coming ban on copper concentrate exports
in 2017 and are part of new rules introduced on Jan. 12 that
have left the mining sector in turmoil.

"Today we submitted a recommendation letter to the Trade
Ministry for Newmont to be registered as an exporter," Sukhyar,
director general of coal and minerals, told reporters. Sukhyar,
like many Indonesians, goes by just one name.

Newmont would still need to get an all-clear from the
finance ministry before it can resume exports, Sukhyar added.

Before the new export rules, Newmont forecast total copper
in concentrate output would be between 110,000 and 125,000
tonnes from its Indonesian mine this year. Freeport had
estimated output at 500,000 tonnes from its Grasberg mine.

Newmont said last month it expects normal mining operations
to continue at the mine in Indonesia for at least the next two
months while it tries to resolve the impasse on exports.

On Thursday, the government said it had resolved the tax
issues with Freeport, and that the firm could resume copper
shipments in April.
(Reporting by Wilda Asmarini; Writing by Fergus Jensen; Editing
by Tom Hogue)